I think Jason will end up at Skate America because the USFSA likes to parade their National Champion at home (like last year with Max) and since Jeremy is not continuing, Jason is the de facto National Champion.

It would not surprise me to then see Max or Joshua get one of the other spots, probably Joshua since he's not guaranteed two spots but he was 4th at Nationals.

And of all the options listed, I hope Douglas Razzano gets the other spot. Or Alexander Johnson!

For Jason's second GP, I'd like to see him at NHK for purely selfish reasons, since I think the Japanese fans would just lap him up and if that's going to increase his earning potential via shows then I'm all for it.

Joshua might end up at CoR again - maybe for the match-up factor with Kovtun? Junior Rivals on the Senior Stage? It didn't happen last year because of Josh's sprained ankle, but it would be interesting to see how they went head-to-head.

Max got NHK and SkAm last year. Confidence-wise, NHK might not be a good idea next year. He was 7th at NHK but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as the number made out because of the pure strength of the NHK field.

But....I don't think Jeremy has officially decided to retire yet, has he? Since I have tickets I do hope Jason will perform, but based on Worlds, don't want to get my hopes up just yet. ....

Gracie a shoo in for SA
Yuzu NHK and CoR
Javier CoR to hype again Kovtun
W/P and D/R for SC, with rigged results already placed for sure
S/H and Han Yan CoC
V/T maybe CoR and they intend to get CoC, the only GP they have not won
Julia maybe NHK
Wagner maybe TEB

But....I don't think Jeremy has officially decided to retire yet, has he? Since I have tickets I do hope Jason will perform, but based on Worlds, don't want to get my hopes up just yet. ....

I'm sure Jason will be at Skate America even if Jeremy continues. It's in Chicago, Jason's hometown, and Jeremy might be the National Champion, but Jason is the number one man in the eyes of the general public. He'll be there.

And if he's not, it'll only confirm my suspicions that the USFSA really are stupid.

Jeremy really needs to call it quits. Almost 30 years old now he has no hope of keeping up with these kids and their jumps. It's not like he's Plushenko who was a many times World and Olympic champion.

For whatever it's worth, on the Skate American event website, Jason and Gracie are pictured: http://www.searscentre.com/events/562/. Not sure if the people who created the banner are "in the know" or just trying to advertise the event with the only faces people might recognize.

Gracie a shoo in for SA
Yuzu NHK and CoR
Javier CoR to hype again Kovtun
W/P and D/R for SC, with rigged results already placed for sure
S/H and Han Yan CoC
V/T maybe CoR and they intend to get CoC, the only GP they have not won
Julia maybe NHK
Wagner maybe TEB

Oh, so should we also assume if CoR will hype Kovtun and SC will be rigged for D/R, would you agree then that the hype/results will be rigged for Gold at SA or S/H and Yan at CoC? If you recall, D/R didn't win SC last year (as rigged as you thought it would be), and Kovtun easily deserved to be ahead of Fernandez at CoR last year (Fernandez was lucky to even make the podium). Sometimes skaters actually skate well on home ice and deserve the results they get.

I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate if Gold won Skate America and everyone immediately chalked it up to the event being rigged for her to win in the first place, instead of actually noting whether or not she skated well enough to deserve the win. Anyways, it won't matter... USFSA will ensure her biggest competition will be Meite and Weinzeirl with no Russians probably, so it'll be a cake walk for her.

Anyways, it won't matter... USFSA will ensure her biggest competition will be Meite and Weinzeirl with no Russians probably, so it'll be a cake walk for her.

Doesn't work that way - don't forget the seedings. Assuming Mao and Carolina don't compete on the GP next season (Akiko has officially retired :( ), the seedings will be Lipnitskaya, Pogorilaya, Gold, and then Wagner, Edmunds, and Park. Even if Gold gets SA, one of Wagner, Edmunds, and Park will also get it. If it doesn't go to Park, another top US lady will also have SA. Not to mention the fact that the USFSA has no control over the seedings. If Lipnitskaya wants SA (doubt she would), Gold wouldn't be able to go

Doesn't work that way - don't forget the seedings. Assuming Mao and Carolina don't compete on the GP next season (Akiko has officially retired :( ), the seedings will be Lipnitskaya, Pogorilaya, Gold, and then Wagner, Edmunds, and Park. Even if Gold gets SA, one of Wagner, Edmunds, and Park will also get it. If it doesn't go to Park, another top US lady will also have SA. Not to mention the fact that the USFSA has no control over the seedings. If Lipnitskaya wants SA (doubt she would), Gold wouldn't be able to go

I'm especially interested in who Gracie is going to face at SA Park wouldn't be really a challenge, since we all know that her 9th place at Worlds is not her "real level", she's actually far behind the top skaters in terms of consistency (even if she has some superb qualities that I really love when she skates clean, which sadly doesn't occur really often); but Wagner vs Gold or Polina vs Gold would be incredibly excting!! (something like 1997 SA )

I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate if Gold won Skate America and everyone immediately chalked it up to the event being rigged for her to win in the first place, instead of actually noting whether or not she skated well enough to deserve the win. Anyways, it won't matter... USFSA will ensure her biggest competition will be Meite and Weinzeirl with no Russians probably, so it'll be a cake walk for her.

and ? they'd still invite Kanako and Tuk probably
same as SC will ensure D/R will have no competition and for Osmond to have little competition as possible
to mount her supposed injury comeback

Doesn't work that way - don't forget the seedings. Assuming Mao and Carolina don't compete on the GP next season (Akiko has officially retired :( ), the seedings will be Lipnitskaya, Pogorilaya, Gold, and then Wagner, Edmunds, and Park. Even if Gold gets SA, one of Wagner, Edmunds, and Park will also get it. If it doesn't go to Park, another top US lady will also have SA. Not to mention the fact that the USFSA has no control over the seedings. If Lipnitskaya wants SA (doubt she would), Gold wouldn't be able to go

No. HOST PICKS COME FIRST, before the selection rounds. USFS will pick Gold for sure, which means Lipnitskaya and Pogorilaya can't skate at SA. They could also select Edmunds or Wagner---but not both, as they are 4-6 seeds.

Because they already have host-picked their 1-3 seed, USFS won't partipate in the 1-3 seed selection round. They would also absent from the 4-6 selection round if they've picked Edmunds or Wagner. However, if Sotnikova is doing the GP, USFS could invite her in one of the later rounds (top 24 on WR or SB) since she is not a seed.

and ? they'd still invite Kanako and Tuk probably
same as SC will ensure D/R will have no competition and for Osmond to have little competition as possible
to mount her supposed injury comeback

Kanako and Tuktamysheva? Wow, some stiff competition right there...

Hopefully Gold gets decent competition at Skate America. If she has a cake walk of a field, she could get complacent and be destroyed at the GPF by the Russians. As we saw with Hanyu, it was probably good for him to go head to head with Chan in the GP and push himself.

Having Edmunds at Skate America would be good... if Edmunds places well that would position her well as another US threat. Also Gold's PCS will be crazy boosted at SA so they need to get Edmunds in on that home ice scoring to boost Edmunds' PCS range and thus give the US another egg in the basket if Gold and Wagner bomb at GPF/Worlds again. Healthy competition is always good for skaters and I hope Gracie wins SA because she skates well and not because the field was meh.